"I knew it, house-elves can't be trusted!" Ron glares at Dobby, his expression furious.
"Dobby didn't, it wasn't Dobby!" Dobby says, wronged and terrified, cowering in a corner.
"You've misunderstood this point. My fellow house-elf Dobby truly had no idea he was also moonlighting as a tour guide," Aura says gently, with a slight smile. "Please don't be too hard on him."
"Is this your scheme?" Hermione guesses, her brow furrowed as she asks.
"A scheme?" Aura's gaze shifts to her, a slight curve to its mouth. "Not really, after all, coming here was your own decision. I merely saw your decision and didn't stop it."
When speaking to Hermione, Aura's tone is noticeably softer.
It's well aware of the little witch's relationship with its master, and the strong possibility she could become their future mistress. Therefore, it naturally offers preferential treatment.
"Saw it?" Harry blinks, his expression puzzled.
"Yes, I saw it," Aura nods lightly and explains, "I can see everything through the eyes of all the house-elves. Dobby is no exception, of course."
"This, how is this possible…" Ron is stunned, his face filled with disbelief.
Being able to observe things through the perspectives of other house-elves is akin to the legendary "all-seeing eye" magic. It's said this magic was unique to Merlin himself, allowing one to know worldly affairs without leaving home.
But to think there's a house-elf version of this legendary magic! It truly shakes Ron's understanding of the world.
"Nothing is impossible. In truth, house-elves aren't as incompetent as you all believe," Aura says politely, extending its right hand. "Now then, please come to our home so we can discuss this further."
"Ron, Harry!" Hermione's expression tightens as she shouts, "Run!"
As the words fall, she charges at Aura without hesitation, transforming into a bolt of golden light. From their conversation, she's realized this house-elf is far from ordinary. If they are taken away by it, who knows what dangers might await them!
Bang.
The golden light slams into a dark blue, circular shield, producing a dull thud.
Hermione stumbles back a few steps, shaking her head. Then, two blue beams shoot out, instantly binding her two friends and forcing them to the ground.
"Truly unexpected," Aura says, admiring Hermione with a face full of wonder. "After four hundred years, I'm seeing someone cast Celestial Magic again."
It feels a genuine sense of nostalgia, as if reliving the days when it followed its master on countless campaigns. However, compared to its peerless master, the little witch's Celestial Magic is still quite weak.
"What, what exactly do you want?" Hermione, not dwelling on the meaning of its words, looks anxiously at her friends.
"I told you before, I just want to invite you as guests," Aura says softly, still smiling. "Please." It certainly wouldn't dare take any forceful action against Hermione. Besides, having Harry and Ron bound is enough to keep her from acting rashly.
Click.
With a gentle snap of its fingers, Hermione feels the world spin. When she regains her senses, she finds herself in a brightly lit hall.
"Don't be nervous, this is just the meeting room for our house-elf democratic conferences," Aura walks towards the main seat and sits in an armchair. "Everyone, please have a seat." As it speaks, chairs on either side slide back, allowing Harry and the others to sit.
"You, what exactly do you want to do?" Ron finally breaks his silence, unable to hold back his question.
"Tell you the answer," Aura says, shrugging. "You want to clear Professor Dumbledore's name, right? I can tell you what happened that day. Sorry, I don't have any snacks to offer. Only roasted meat, would you like some?"
"No, thank you," Harry quickly shakes his head, not daring to eat the meat roasted by these house-elves. He can't even imagine what ingredients they might be using for their roasts.
"Alright, then let's get straight to the point," Aura snaps its fingers again, and a screen, like a projection, appears out of nowhere. The screen shows footage of the Ministry of Magic's operation to capture house-elves that day.
The entire playback is very short, only about ten minutes in total. After the video finishes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally understand the truth of that day.
"I knew it, I knew it! Professor Dumbledore could never be a traitor!" Ron exclaims excitedly.
But Harry and Hermione fall into silence.
They agree that this footage could indeed clear Dumbledore's name, but there's a significant problem: while they've seen it, no one else has.
Can they really expect the leader of the house-elves standing before them to step forward and vindicate Dumbledore?
No, that's impossible.
From the Ministry's operation, they can see that these house-elves have completely lost faith in the wizarding world. They won't help, nor will they trust any wizard anymore.
"Now that you've seen the truth, do you have any other questions?" Aura tilts its head and asks.
"Why, why did you show us this?" Hermione ponders for a moment, then asks, "What exactly is your purpose?"
Hermione absolutely refuses to believe that the house-elf before them is a purely benevolent being trying to enlighten them. There must be other schemes and calculations behind this, or they wouldn't have been kept here.
"My purpose, of course, is for our kind to live better lives," Aura says with a smile. "Therefore, I need a channel, a channel to communicate with Hogwarts. And you are the key to this channel."
"Us?" Harry stares, his expression blank.
He can't fathom how they could be the key. Could they possibly influence the will of the professors at Hogwarts? That's absurd.
Aura smiles again, but without answering, it turns and walks out of the meeting hall.
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